Advocent acquires Tellabs site for US$6.5m

The Tellabs building in Shannon, which closed last year with the loss of 400 jobs, has been acquired by US networking firm Advocent for US$6.5m.

The building is double the size of Advocent’s existing Irish operation where it employs 100 people, hinting at the likelihood of an imminent expansion in employment at the firm.

The decision to acquire the Shannon-based Tellabs building, which at the height of the telecoms bubble employed around 800 people, was made at a meeting of Advocent’s board in Shannon to discuss the firm’s global strategy. It is the first time Advocent’s board has met outside the US.

The Tellabs facility was established in 1996 and the acquisition makes it Advocent’s second largest facility outside the US.

The Alabama-based firm designs products for data centres and network servers. The company’s managing director, Kieran MacSweeney, indicated that the firm will grow its operations in Ireland in line with global market conditions.